Box.



W,- PENTE.

BOX.

APPLICATION FILED HOV.8. 191s.

Patented Dec. 18,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. PENTE.

BOX.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 8. 1915.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

2"SHEETSSHEET 2.

WILLIAM PEN TE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

' BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

Application filed November 8, 1915. Serial No. 60,435.

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, W'ILLIAM PENTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Boxes, of'which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to boxes or containers which are shaped as toys so that after performing the function of a container or box for containing goods, such as candies,

and such as are likely tobe purchased by or for children, may serve thereafter as toys;

The object of the invention is to provide a box or container which can be made at small expense and whichwill prove attractive, especially to children, for use as a-toy.

A further object of the invention is to provide a box or container which may be made of inexpensive material such as paper or card-board and can readily be assembled Or folded into proper shape and which will serve a maximum utility as a toy.

The boxes which I shall hereafter describe are employed for containing things which are in demand for children such as candy or 80 the like. These boxes of candy or the like find a very ready sale from the fact that the boxes or containers serve as a very attractive toy during the time, or after, that the box or container serves its function as such.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the present specification and in which I have illustrated the manner in which my invention may be carried out Figure 1 is an isometric view of a com- ..40 plete box with one end closed up and the other end remaining open;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to the view of Fig. 1, showing the interior construction of the box; I .45 Fig. 3 is a similar view of the end showing the one flap folded in and the other flap still open;

j Fig. 4; is a similar .view showing the first flap open and the second lap closed;

Fig. 5 illustrate the manner of cutting out the blank;

F'g. 6 illustrates an end view of the card or blank for receiving the figure of the animal or other object which is inclosed in the body of the box and serves as a closure for the front of saidbox,

Fig. 7 illustrates the manner of forming the blank shown in Fig. 5 and consists of a cross-section of a box folded up from the blank, shown in Fig.5;

Fig. 8 shows the manner of joining the end flaps of two of the boxes together; and.

Fig. 9 illustrates a number of the boxes joined together and provided with a paper top to simulate a tent.

The box shown in Fig. 1 consists primarily of a box portion and extensions which form supports for the box to simulate an animal cage. I The main box portion 1 comprises a top portion 2, a front 3 and suitable end portions which will be described more in detail later, a back portion 4 and a bottom portion 5. The front portion 3 is cut out or slotted, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, to simulate a cage, the portions 6 which remain being suitably lith'ographed or other, wise decorated to simulate the bars of a cage. The openings between the'bars 6 are closed by a card 7, having a bottom portion 8, bent at substantially right angles and of a width to cover the bottom side of the cage. The card 7, shown in Fig. 6, has upon its face 9 a pictorial representation of an animal, such for instance,as the lion, shown in Fi 1. The box shown in Fig. 1 is pro vi ed with the supporting tabs 10 decorated to simulate wheels. These tabs are struck out of the material of the bottom of the box, as shown in Fig. 2, thus forming the'holes '11 where each tab is stamped out. The tabs 10 thus form a straight downward extension 7 of the front 3. The bottom 5 has a tab or extension 12 which in this case is formed the full length of the bottom and is pasted or otherwise secured to the back 4: of the box. The back a extends downward, as shown at 13, for the same distance as the height of the tabs 10, which I term the wheels. Thus the box is provided .with supports on each side to hold it up on edge to simulate as much as possible a complete animal cage.

The ends of the box are closed by the following means. The top portion 2 is pro vided at each end with a narrow flap 14 (see Fig. 1) which folds down to close the upper corners of the box adjacent the por tion 2. In the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 the bottom portion 5 is also provided with narrow flaps 15 similar to the flaplt; shown in Fig. 1 for closing the lower end corners of the box. The front'portion 3 is- Pro ided at each end with an end portion 16 (see Eggs. 1 and 3) of the proper width to close the end of the box. This end portion 16 is provided with a tab or tongue 17, which when the portion 16 is folded on the outside, adapted to be inserted in a slot 18 which is cut in the stock of the paper at the point where the back end portions 19 join the back part 1 of the box. This can be seen more clearly in Fig. The end portions 19 which are secured to the back are provided with flaps 20 which are inserted in the open end of the box when the frame is. closed in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The end portion 19 extends down thei'ull width of the bottom portion 13 but the end flap 20 extends only the width of the box or o0I tainer portion. The end portions 19 are provided with tongues 21 formed by slotting the paper. (See Figs. 1 and 5,.)

When the box serves as a container for candy or the like the card 7 which is provided with the bottom portion 8 is inserted in thoopen end of the box after the portion 12 is secured to the back 4, the card 7 closing the openings between the bars 6 and the portion 8 closing the openings 11 formed by cutting out the wheels 10. The representation of the animal 22, shown in Fig. 1, is formed upon the face 9 of the card 7 and simulates the animal confined in acage. The small end tabs 14: and 15 are then fold.- ed inwardly, the box being filled with suit; able articles. The end portion 19 is then folded over the open end of the box and the flap 20 which is bent along the dotted line is inserted at the edge of the end opening. The portion 16 which is then bent along the dotted line is then folded over the end and the tab or tongue 17 is inserted in the slot 18 thus closing and locking the end 01 the box.

After the child has emptied the box of its contents the flap 16 with the tongue 17 is folded in first, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to expose the back end portion 19. The flap 20 may then be torn off and the adjacent end flaps 19 of two boxes may be interlocked by means of the tongues 21, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The outer back portion may be decorated to simulate a part of a tent and when a number of boxes are joined together as shown in Fig. 9, a paper cone 24; formed of wrapping paper or the like is set upon these boxes to complete the illusion of a circus tent having animal cages arranged around on the inside thereof. This forms avery attractive toy for children. a

In Figs. 5 and 7, l have illustrated a modification of the box shown in Fig. 1.

In this structure instead of forming the card 7, 8 of a separate piece ofmaterial, I have shown thesan e as forming a continua: tion of the back portion 4 and have desighated the corresponding part as 7, 8. In.- stead t attaching the end tabs 1 1 to the bottom portion '5, Ihave shown them as formed of an extension of the inside bottom torial representations are desired the same may be secured to extensions of the card 7 7 all being struck out of the same blank of Pape -1 I consider that the formation of the picture card integral with one of the end flaps 29 is the equivalent of the structure I have shown and intend that this be considered in the interpretation of the claims.

The ma n r o joining he an flap form aseries ot'connect'ed objects may be i r ed h join g flap m y be m d like the front. end flaps, shown in Fig. 5, and the two similar flaps are then laid over each other with the cooperating tabs 17 insat l the lot l8= l/Vhile I have described the box as being adapted to simulate an animal cage with an animal therein, it is to be understood that any desired object may be simulated, such for instance as a train of cars, a block of houses or similar groups of articles. In the case of a railroad train, the front of the box is out out. to represent the windows of the. engine r of the coach s n he c 8, within the box presentsv the figure of the engine driver or of the passengers. The above illustrations are given merely for the sake of showing the application and use of the structure in'providi'ng a very attractive toy. While I have described my invention 7 w h referen e o t e d ta l a P u a embodiment,it is not my intention to limit the invention to only such forms as I have, shown, as, it is apparent that the invention may be. applied to dillerent structures and may appear in a variety of forms with such substitutions and modifications as will occur to those skilled in the art, all of which I desire to be included within thev scope of the appended claims.

W at I cla m r 1. In combination an inclosing or box structure having- ,top, front, bottom and back portions end portions for closing the same, flaps secured to the body of the, box at each end thereof, said flaps having interc ing projectio s o j ini g a number of boxes or structures together said int-er- Q. 1s Projec n ng d. ap fia ga ns each other sof j ed g hertom and back portions, front end flaps and back end flaps, an interlocking slot cut in one of said end flaps for joining a plurality of such structures together, said flaps lying flat against each other when so joined together.

3. In combination a box having top, front, bottom, back and end portions for forming an inclosure, said front having perforations therethrough, a card adapted to receive pictorial representations, secured back of said perforations, said back portion having projecting flaps, said flaps lying flat against each other and having slots forming interlocking projections adapted to secure said flaps together.

4;. In combination a box having top, front,

bottom, back and end portions, flaps secured to said box, said flaps having tongues adapted to interlock with tongues of adjacent boxes to connect a group of the same together, said front portion having perforations therethrough and a card adapted to receive pictorial representations, closing the perforations in said front.

5. In an article of the class described, top, front, bottom and back portions, folded to form an inclosure, said front portion having perforations therethrough and extensions to form supporting means, said back portion having an extension to form similar supporting means, end flaps secured to said front and back portions for closing the ends of said box and a card in said box to close the perforations through said front, said card being adapted to receive pictorial representations.

6. In combination top, front, bottom and back portions, flaps secured to said front and back portions at each end thereof, said front having perforations therethrough and tabs struck up from the bottom portion depending from said front portion, said back portion extending downward the same distance as said tabs, one of said end flaps at each end of said box having an interlocking tongue and a card in said box for closing the perforations in the front and bottom portions of said box.

7. In combination a plurality of boxes secured together to form a polygonal inclosure, said boxes having flaps at each end, said flaps having tongues adapted to interlock with tongues of adjacent boxes to connect the same together and a cover member adapted to form a roof for said inclosure.

8. In combination a plurality of boxes, each box having flaps extending from the ends thereof and forming a continuation of the rear of said box, said flaps having interlocking projections adapted to hold the fiaps of adjacent boxes together and to form substantially a continuous wall, said boxes being positioned to form an inclosure and a roof member common to the boxes forming said inclosure.

9. A box comprising front, back, top, and bottom portions, said front portion having an opening therethrough adapted to display a picture or the like, said box having a card or flap of substantially the. size of said front resting upon the bottom thereof and adapted to close off said opening and to present a picture through said sight opening, said box having suitable end flaps for closing ed the end opening to form a complete inclosure.

10. A box comprising front, back, top and bottom portions, said front portion having a sight opening therethrough adapted to display a picture or the like back of said opening, suitable end flaps for said box, and a card adapted to be inserted endwise in said box and be placed back of said opening to WILLIAM PENTE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, I). G. 

